SfK Ministries

SfK Ministries

Saturday, May 10, 2025

SfK May 2025 Newsletter

 

2 Corinthians 4:16

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 
 
 

Hitched Together Versus Pushed Together: BAM Integration

Original article written by Jo PlummerJune 16, 2015 businessasmission.com.

Business as mission is all about the two I’s: Intention and Integration. In BAM we take the innate God-given potential of business to produce innovation, resource multiplication, job creation, community development, and so on, and intentionally leverage that power for ‘missional’ goals.

Business as mission is demonstrating what the Kingdom of God is like in the context of business – and as we do so, engaging with the world’s more pressing social, economic, environmental and spiritual issues.

A hallmark of a BAM company is the intentional layering business operations and mission together into an integrated whole. However, just because something is intentional, it doesn’t mean it is without tension. Practitioners share that when mission and business are layered together, there will inevitably be tensions of one sort of another. But what kind of tensions and how can they be resolved?

Not All Tension is Bad

Tension is not necessarily a bad thing. Forces that tear apart can also, when managed correctly, support great loads. BAM Mentor and, Peter Shaukat, neatly illustrates this point with a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Suspension bridges use the forces of tension to support the weight of the bridge across wide spans. Shaukat argues that because success in BAM is measured along multiple dimensions – including commercial returns, spiritual impact, expanding reach and long-term influence – that success in BAM is therefore is dependent on being able to effectively manage tension.

Hitched Together versus Pushed Together

Over the years of listening to practitioners ask questions and share experiences I have observed that the degree to which business goals and mission goals are integrated together will influence the kinds of tensions experienced. For instance, as the goals are more aligned, time management tensions become less of an issue, but there is potential for other kinds of conflicts.

Hitched Together vs Pushed Together graphics 2

Except the pushed together diagram isn’t quite right. In reality commercial, spiritual, social and sometimes environmental goals are pushed together, more like this:Pushed Together graphic 2

And the whole thing is ‘mission’ – business as mission.

The ‘Hitched Together’ Model

‘Hitched Together’ is when ministry goals/job description do not overlap very significantly with the business operation. For instance, you work in a business, but you do your primary ‘ministry’ work outside of office hours. Perhaps the business is a means to a particular end – you need it for a visa, or money, or access – but you don’t see it as the primary sphere where your missional goals and role is outworked. Some might say this isn’t really ‘business as mission’ because it is hardly integrated. They might call it ‘business for mission’ or ‘bivocational work’. There is nothing inherently wrong with being bivocational. For many people in ministry all over the world, it is the way they make life work. However, I would suggest there are some pitfalls to this model, especially in the context of cross-cultural work, and some natural tensions that arise, including:

  • Split thinking
  • Time management problems
  • Lack of passion
  • Identity crisis

Read Part 2 where we’ll unpack each of these challenges, and share ideas for how to tackle them.

The ‘Pushed Together’ Model

Business as mission is where the goals and roles of business operations and missional life are aligned. The ‘ministry’ happens in the context of life in business and out of the activities of the business itself. Although it’s all ‘mission’, it is legitimate to consider different kinds of goals and impacts: commercial, social, environmental and spiritual – because we measure along multiple bottom lines. Specific activities will be focused on producing results for one or more of those bottom lines.

Those pushing the circles together will not, however, be immune to tension. Here are just a few of the kinds that may be encountered:

  • Business can get messy!
  • Making trade-offs
  • Identity crisis
  • Conflicts of interest
Read Part 3 for more about each of these tensions.
MINISTRY UPDATES
  • MB Academy - SfK held its MB Connect session on April 17, and Hesed Business Group shared their stories, which were inspiring all participants.
  • MB Fund - SfK extended a loan to help a missional South Asian business expand into a related service business. Please pray that this new business will diversify its existing business line to avoid the shrinking business due to technological advancements.
  • SfK Network - SfK Life and SfK Korea held their Joint Board Meeting on May 1-3 in Korea. The gathering was fabulous, getting to know each other and encouraging each other. Particularly, both board members agreed in approving a very important issue at stake. We give all the honor and glory to our Father God, who enabled us to become one in mind. 
  • SfK Network BAM Global Summit 2025 took place on May 8, and it was a great blessing to all. 
  • SfK Network - SfK is preparing to take its ministries to the next phase going forward. For this purpose, SfK and a key partner formed a task force to lay the foundation for the next phase. We are not prepared to disclose the details, but please pray that the 7-member task force will sincerely participate in this innovative next step. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
1. MB Academy - SfK will hold its BMT 2025 from August 9 as previously announced. Now the poster is out as attached hereto. Those who are interested in taking part in this year's training can now register using the QR code on the poster. The seating is limited, so you may want to take action fast. Please pray that all the preparation will be sincere and thorough.


2. MB Academy - SfK will hold its MB Connect session on May 15. This time, Team 2 members will share their presentations. Please pray that this peer learning group will grow strong as time goes by.

3. MB Academy - SfK will proceed with the BAM Field Trip 2025 to Central Asia as scheduled during September 1-11. Five people have made a commitment to go and a couple of people are still considering. The itinerary is being fixed and refined. Please pray that this trip will bring joy and encouragement to all involved in the trip. 

4. MB Community - In May, SfK will meet several people who are serving Korean descendants from Central Asia who are now living in Korea. This meeting is to explore the possibility of connecting Central Asia and Korea in our ministry efforts. Please pray that we will seek God's providence and wisdom in the process.

5. MB Fund - We are considering making another loan investment to an important member operating in Central Asia to buy farmland. Please pray that the process will be made timely and prudently. 
Thank you for standing with us at SfK through your prayer and financial support as we strive to equip and empower missional businesses in Asia and Africa.

.   .   .


May the good and faithful Lord bless you abundantly so that you may be a greater blessing to people in need around you and the world.
Please consider partnering with SfK to support missional businesses.
.   .   .

한국에서 도네이션 하실 분은 아래 정보를 이용하시기 바랍니다.SFK Ministries 후원계좌KB국민은행계좌번호 264401-04-384976예금주 ㅡ 위디선교회이체메모: SFK 후원

SfK 뉴스레터 - 2025년 5월호

 

고린도후서 4:16

"그러므로 우리가 낙심하지 아니하노니 우리의 겉사람은 낡아지나
우리의 속사람은 날로 새로워지도다 ." 
 
 

Hitched Together Versus Pushed Together: BAM Integration

Original article written by Jo PlummerJune 16, 2015 businessasmission.com.

Business as mission is all about the two I’s: Intention and Integration. In BAM we take the innate God-given potential of business to produce innovation, resource multiplication, job creation, community development, and so on, and intentionally leverage that power for ‘missional’ goals.

Business as mission is demonstrating what the Kingdom of God is like in the context of business – and as we do so, engaging with the world’s more pressing social, economic, environmental and spiritual issues.

A hallmark of a BAM company is the intentional layering business operations and mission together into an integrated whole. However, just because something is intentional, it doesn’t mean it is without tension. Practitioners share that when mission and business are layered together, there will inevitably be tensions of one sort of another. But what kind of tensions and how can they be resolved?

Not All Tension is Bad

Tension is not necessarily a bad thing. Forces that tear apart can also, when managed correctly, support great loads. BAM Mentor and, Peter Shaukat, neatly illustrates this point with a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Suspension bridges use the forces of tension to support the weight of the bridge across wide spans. Shaukat argues that because success in BAM is measured along multiple dimensions – including commercial returns, spiritual impact, expanding reach and long-term influence – that success in BAM is therefore is dependent on being able to effectively manage tension.

Hitched Together versus Pushed Together

Over the years of listening to practitioners ask questions and share experiences I have observed that the degree to which business goals and mission goals are integrated together will influence the kinds of tensions experienced. For instance, as the goals are more aligned, time management tensions become less of an issue, but there is potential for other kinds of conflicts.

Hitched Together vs Pushed Together graphics 2

Except the pushed together diagram isn’t quite right. In reality commercial, spiritual, social and sometimes environmental goals are pushed together, more like this:Pushed Together graphic 2

And the whole thing is ‘mission’ – business as mission.

The ‘Hitched Together’ Model

‘Hitched Together’ is when ministry goals/job description do not overlap very significantly with the business operation. For instance, you work in a business, but you do your primary ‘ministry’ work outside of office hours. Perhaps the business is a means to a particular end – you need it for a visa, or money, or access – but you don’t see it as the primary sphere where your missional goals and role is outworked. Some might say this isn’t really ‘business as mission’ because it is hardly integrated. They might call it ‘business for mission’ or ‘bivocational work’. There is nothing inherently wrong with being bivocational. For many people in ministry all over the world, it is the way they make life work. However, I would suggest there are some pitfalls to this model, especially in the context of cross-cultural work, and some natural tensions that arise, including:

  • Split thinking
  • Time management problems
  • Lack of passion
  • Identity crisis

Read Part 2 where we’ll unpack each of these challenges, and share ideas for how to tackle them.

The ‘Pushed Together’ Model

Business as mission is where the goals and roles of business operations and missional life are aligned. The ‘ministry’ happens in the context of life in business and out of the activities of the business itself. Although it’s all ‘mission’, it is legitimate to consider different kinds of goals and impacts: commercial, social, environmental and spiritual – because we measure along multiple bottom lines. Specific activities will be focused on producing results for one or more of those bottom lines.

Those pushing the circles together will not, however, be immune to tension. Here are just a few of the kinds that may be encountered:

  • Business can get messy!
  • Making trade-offs
  • Identity crisis
  • Conflicts of interest
Read Part 3 for more about each of these tensions.
사역 동정
  • MB 아카데미 – SfK  4 17일에 MB Connect 모임을 개최하였습니다헤세드 비즈니스 그룹 멤버들이 그들의 이야기를 공유하였고 참가자 모두에게 감명을 주었습니다.
  • MB 펀드 – SfK 남아시아에 있는 선교기업에게 다른 관련사업으로 확장하는 사업계획을 지원하기 위하여 대출 실시하였습니다새로 시작하는 비즈니스가 기술 발전 때문에 감소하는 기존 사업을 다각화하는데 도움을   있도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.
  • SfK 네트워크 – SfK Life SfK Korea 5 1 부터 3까지 3 동안 한국에서 합동이사회 개최하였습니다모임은 너무 은혜스러웠고 서로를 알고 서로 격려하는 좋은 기회가 되었습니다특별히  이사회가 아주 중요한 현안사항 하나를  마음이 되어 승인하였습니다하나가 되도록 인도하신 하나님께 영광과 존귀를 올려 드립니다.
  • SfK 네트워크 – BAM Global Summit 2025 예정대로 5 8 실시되었습니다참가자들이 모두 은혜와 도전을 받았습니다.
  • SfK 네트워크 – SfK 현재 진행하고 있는 사역을 다음 단계로 승화시키는 준비를 추진하고 있습니다 일을 위하여 핵심 파트너 단체와 Task Force 구성하여서 기초를 준비하고 있습니다자세한 내용을 나눌 수는 없지만 7명의 Task Force 성실하게  준비작업에 참여하도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.
다가오는 일정
 
1. MB 아카데미 – SfK는공지한대로 BMT 2025 8 9부터 시작합니다포스터가 나와서 첨부합니다관심이 있으신 분은 포스터에 포함되어 있는 QR 코드를 이용하여 등록하실  있습니다참가자 수가 제한되어 있기 때문에 참가하시기를 원하시면 신속하게 등록하실 것을 권유해 드립니다모든 준비가 성실하고 온전하게 이루어지도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.


2. MB 아카데미 – SfK 5 MB Connect 모임을 5 15 개최합니다Team 2 멤버들이 그들의 이야기를 발표할 것입니다동료들간에 학습하는 기회가 시간이 가면서 더욱 성장할  있도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.


3. MB 아카데미 – SfK 예정한대로 BAM Field Trip 9 1-11까지 중앙아시아로 진행합니다다섯명이 이미 확정되었고 2 정도가 참가를 고려하고 있습니다일정이 확정되고 있고 상세한 준비가 진행되고 있습니다이번 Field Trip 통해 참가자 모두와 현지 사역자 모두에게 기쁨과 격려가 가득할  있도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.

4. MB 커뮤니티 – SfK 5 중에 중앙아시아에 살던 고려인들이 모여 사는 한국 고려인 마을에서 이들을 섬기는 사역자 분들 만나 뵙고 중앙아시아와 한국을 연결하는 사역의 기회를 탐색할 예정입니다추진하는 동안 하나님의 섭리와 지혜를 구하며 진행하도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.


5. MB 펀드 – SfK 중앙아시아에서 사역하는 중요한 선교기업 멤버에게 농장용 토지 구매를 돕기 위한 대출 고려하고 있습니다 과정이 신속하고 분별력있게 진행되도록 기도해 주시기 바랍니다.
아시아와 아프리카에서 섬기는 선교기업을 훈련하고 역량을 강화하는 SfK 사역에 기도와 후원으로 동역해 주셔서 대단히 감사합니다.

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여전히 선하시고 신실하신 우리 주님께서 여러분을 풍성하게 축복하시사 여러분 주변과 세계에

흩어져 있는 많은 사람들에게 보다 큰 복의 근원 되시도록 기도합니다.

Please consider partnering with SfK to support missional businesses.
.   .   .

한국에서 도네이션 하실 분은 아래 정보를 이용하시기 바랍니다.

SFK Ministries 후원계좌
KB국민은행
계좌번호 264401-04-384976
예금주 ㅡ 위디선교회
이체메모: SFK 후원